Mobile Computer Workstation

ABSTRACT

A mobile computer workstation for use with a computer network is disclosed. The workstation can include a wheeled chassis having a vertical beam that supports a horizontal work surface. An input device tray is located at a front side of the work surface and a bracket located at a rear side of the work surface mounts a display screen to the workstation above and off the work surface. A power unit including a battery charger and a battery is mounted to the chassis and supplies power to the display screen.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/190,716 filed Jul. 26, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. ______); which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/852,097 filed Aug.6, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,990,691); which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/415,481 filed Mar. 31, 2009 (now U.S.Pat. No. 7,791,866); which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/358,164 filed Feb. 21, 2006 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,612,999);which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/783,333 filed Feb. 20, 2004 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,009,840); which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/171,582, filed Jun.13, 2002 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,178); which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/397,817, filed Sep. 17, 1999 (now U.S.Pat. No. 6,493,220). This application claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/100,976 filed Sep. 18, 1998. Each ofthese applications is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

This invention relates to mobile workstations and, more particularly, toa mobile workstation that can include an adjustable-height horizontaltray, a pull-out keyboard tray, a vertically-mounted docking stationmounted to the tray, a computer terminal mounted beneath the tray, adisplay screen mounted to the horizontal tray, and a power unit.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Wireless computer terminals are particularly well-suited to medical careenvironments, such as hospitals, doctors' offices, and nursing homes.Here, wireless computer terminals offer a great advantage by replacingthe conventional clipboard hanging from a patient's bed frame orexamination table with a wireless computer terminal that usesradio-frequency transmissions to communicate with a distributed computernetwork. These wireless computer terminals bring bedside medical careinto the information age by computerizing medical charts.

A wireless computer terminal is typically used to post and retrieve theinformation that was traditionally posted on a bed-side clipboard, suchas the patient's prescriptions, vital signs, receipt of medications,scheduled tests, etc. This and other information is now automaticallycommunicated between the wireless computer terminal and a distributedpatient-care computer network. A medical practitioner making the rounds,such as a doctor or nurse, usually picks up the wireless computerterminal from a fixed storage location before visiting the patient andtakes the terminal into the patient's room. The practitioner thenperforms the indicated tasks and enters any relevant information intothe wireless computer terminal, such as test results, vital signs,observations, and the like. When the visit with the patient is over, thepractitioner usually returns the wireless computer terminal to itsstorage location.

Deploying a wireless computer terminal in this type of medical careenvironment presents several challenges. First, the wireless computerterminal should be stored near the patient's hospital or examinationroom for easy access by the medical practitioner. Second, the wirelesscomputer terminal should be kept secure to prevent theft or tampering.Third, the wireless computer terminal should be easily accessible withone hand because a medical practitioner often has the other handoccupied, for example with a tray of medications, a medical instrument,or the like. Fourth, the battery inside a wireless terminal should bekept charged.

To address these needs, wireless computer terminals have been deployedin conjunction with wall-mounted cradles or docking stations locatedoutside of patient hospital rooms. The wall-mounted cradle includes akey or electronic lock for selectively securing the computer terminal inthe cradle. For example, the cradle may include a vertically movableleveling tray that allows the wireless terminal to be easily removedfrom, and replaced for storage within, the cradle with one hand using apush-down-and-tilt motion. A locking mechanism selectively prevents theleveling tray from moving vertically. A battery charger connected to anAC power supply charges the computer terminal's battery while theterminal is stored within the cradle.

These wall-mounted cradles work well but have a number of drawbacks. Inparticular, a separate wall-mounted cradle with an associated wirelesscomputer terminal is typically located outside each hospital room. Thisresults in a relatively large number of cradles and associatedterminals, with each terminal sitting idle most of the day. Purchasingsuch a large number of cradles and associated terminals is expensive. Inaddition, once a practitioner removes the terminal from the cradle andtakes it into the patient's hospital room, there may no place toconveniently store the terminal inside the hospital room. Thepractitioner may have to step back outside the patient's room to returnthe terminal to the cradle if both hands are needed for another activityduring the visit, such as making the bed, assisting the patient to getout of bed, dressing a wound, or some other activity.

In another attempt to address some of the needs of medicalpractitioners, a mobile cart has been deployed in conjunction with alaptop computer. The mobile cart includes a horizontal tray with anupper surface on which the laptop computer resides. The laptop computeris typically secured on the mobile cart with a KENSINGTON lock (i.e., acylinder-type key-operated mechanical lock). This mobile cart with anattached laptop computer has some advantages, but it also has a numberof drawbacks. Physically walking back and forth from the patient'sbedside to the mobile cart to enter patient information into thecomputer can be inconvenient. In many cases, a removable computerterminal that can be carried over to the patient's bedside would be moreconvenient. A removable computer terminal more closely resembles aconventional clipboard chart, which may be preferred by practitionerswho have grown accustomed to clipboard charts.

In the previous mobile cart design, however, the practitioner mustmanually unlock the KENSINGTON lock to remove the laptop computer. Thiscan be inconvenient, particularly when the medical practitioner isholding other items, such medical instruments. The KENSINGTON lockitself, which typically dangles from a cable connected to the computer,can be an annoyance. In addition, the location of the laptop computer onthe surface of the cart occupies this space, which might be better usedas a workspace for the practitioner to make notes, carry instruments,place medications, and so forth. The laptop computer also has a numberof limitations. For example, the computer's battery life is typicallyabout two to three hours, and recharging the battery typically requiresplugging the laptop computer's power cord into an AC outlet for severalhours. Plugging the laptop computer in for recharging typically idlesthe mobile cart for this period.

There is, therefore, a need for an improved docking station for awireless computer terminal. Specifically, there is a need for a dockingstation that eliminates the need for a wall-mounted cradle and anassociated wireless computer terminal located outside each patienthospital room. There is a further need for a mobile cart and associatedcomputer terminal that is more convenient to use, has increasedworkspace, and has increased battery life.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

The present application thus provides a mobile workstation for use witha computer network. The mobile workstation may include a medicalmonitoring device, a radio transceiver in communication with the medicalmonitoring device operable for receiving and sending data to thecomputer network, a display screen, and a wheeled chassis for mountingthe medical monitoring device, the radio transceiver and the displayscreen.

The mobile workstation further may include a computing device positionedon the wheeled chassis and in communication with the medical monitoringdevice. The mobile workstation further may include a power supplypositioned on the wheeled chassis. The mobile workstation further mayinclude a videoconferencing system.

The medical monitoring device may include a vital signs capture device.The vital signs capture device may include a monitor/control device. Thevital signs capture device may include a sensor. The sensor may includea blood pressure cuff, a thermometry sensor, a pulse oximetry sensor, ora similar type of device.

The present application further describes a mobile workstation for usewith a computer network. The mobile workstation may include avideoconferencing system, a radio transceiver in communications with thevideoconferencing system and operable for receiving and sending data tothe computer network, and a wheeled chassis for mounting thevideoconferencing system and the radio transceiver.

The mobile workstation further may include a computing device positionedon the wheeled chassis and in communication with the medical monitoringdevice. The mobile workstation further may include a power supplypositioned on the wheeled chassis. The mobile workstation further mayinclude a vital signs capture device positioned on the wheeled chassis.

The videoconferencing system may include a video screen or a dual videoscreen. The videoconferencing system may include a diagnostic image orelectronic medical records. The videoconferencing system may include avideo camera.

The present application further describes a method of using a mobileworkstation. The method may include rolling the mobile workstation abouta patient, viewing the patient's electronic medical records on themobile workstation, and conferencing with a third party via the mobileworkstation.

That the invention improves over the drawbacks of the prior art and howit accomplishes the advantages described above will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments and theappended drawings and claims.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a mobile workstation including a docking station fora computer terminal in a typical environment, such as a patient'shospital room;

FIGS. 2A-2D are a series of side views of the mobile workstation of FIG.1 illustrating the operation of an adjustable-height horizontal tray anda tiltable docking station;

FIGS. 3A-3D are a series of perspective views of the docking stationforming part of the mobile workstation of FIG. 1 showing thepush-down-and-tilt motion used to remove the wireless terminal from thedocking station;

FIGS. 4A-4B are perspective views of the mobile workstation of FIG. 1showing the operation of a pull-out keyboard tray;

FIG. 5A is a side view of the horizontal tray of the mobile workstationof FIG. 1 showing an access hole and a release lever for raising andlowering the horizontal tray;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the horizontal tray of the mobileworkstation of FIG. 1 showing an access hole and a release lever forraising and lowering the horizontal tray;

FIG. 6A is a back view of the horizontal tray and mounting bracket ofthe mobile workstation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6B is a reverse view of the mounting bracket of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A is an exploded view the mounting bracket of FIG. 6A andassociated clutch assemblies;

FIG. 7B is a side view of a spring washer for the clutch assemblies;

FIG. 7C is a perspective view of the spring washer of FIG. 7B;

FIG. 8 illustrates a mobile workstation including a computer terminaland a display screen in a typical environment, such as a patient'shospital room;

FIGS. 9A-9D are a series of side views of the mobile workstation of FIG.8 illustrating the operation of an adjustable-height horizontal tray anda tiltable display screen;

FIGS. 10A-10B are perspective views of the mobile workstation of FIG. 8showing the operation of a pull-out keyboard tray;

FIG. 11A is a side view of the horizontal tray of the mobile workstationof FIG. 8 showing an access opening and a release lever for raising andlowering the horizontal tray;

FIG. 11B is a perspective view of the horizontal tray of the mobileworkstation of FIG. 8 showing an access opening and a release lever forraising and lowering the horizontal tray;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view of the mobile workstation of FIG. 8showing the installation of the wireless computer terminal and thekeyboard;

FIG. 12B is a side view of the mobile workstation of FIG. 8 showing theinstallation of the wireless computer terminal, keyboard, and batterypack;

FIG. 12C is a front view of the mobile workstation of FIG. 8 showing theinstallation of the wireless computer terminal and the keyboard;

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of the horizontal tray and tray housingof the mobile workstation of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13B is a top view of the horizontal tray and mounting bracket ofFIG. 13A;

FIG. 13C is a front view of the horizontal tray and mounting bracket ofFIG. 13A with an installed wireless computer terminal and keyboard;

FIG. 13D is a side view of the horizontal tray and mounting bracket ofFIG. 13A with an installed wireless computer terminal and keyboard;

FIG. 14A is a perspective view of the front mounting bracket of themobile workstation of FIG. 8;

FIG. 14B is a top view of the front mounting bracket of FIG. 14A;

FIG. 14C is a front view of the front mounting bracket of FIG. 14A;

FIG. 14D is a side view of the front mounting bracket of FIG. 14A;

FIG. 15A is a perspective view of the back mounting bracket of themobile workstation of FIG. 8;

FIG. 15B is a top view of the back mounting bracket of FIG. 15A;

FIG. 15C is a front view of the back mounting bracket of FIG. 15A;

FIG. 15D is a side view of the back mounting bracket of FIG. 15A;

FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of yet another embodiment of amobile workstation;

FIG. 17 is a rear right side perspective view of the mobile workstationin FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a rear right side perspective view of the mobile workstationin FIG. 16 with a pull-out keyboard tray in the extended position;

FIG. 19 is a front right side perspective view of the mobile workstationin FIG. 16 with the pull-out keyboard tray in the extended position;

FIG. 20 is a side view of the mobile workstation shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 21 is a rear perspective view of an alternative embodiment of amobile workstation with a vital signs capture device;

FIG. 22 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of amobile workstation with a videoconferencing system;

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

The present invention may be embodied in a mobile workstation thatincludes an adjustable-height horizontal tray and a vertically-mounteddocking station mounted to the horizontal tray. The docking stationremovably supports a computer terminal having a display screen, whichmay also serve as a touch-sensitive input device, that can be easilyseen and accessed when the computer terminal is stored within thedocking station. The mobile workstation also includes a keyboard locatedon a pull-out keyboard tray mounted to the underside of the horizontaltray. The keyboard is connected to the computer terminal by way of thedocking station, so that the keyboard is automatically connected to thecomputer terminal whenever the terminal is stored within the dockingstation.

A tiltable bracket mounts the docking station to the horizontal tray. Aclutch assembly allows the angle of the bracket, and along with it theangle of the docking station and the computer terminal, to be adjustedto avoid glare on the terminal's display screen. A spring-mounted,vertically-movable leveling tray allows the wireless terminal to beeasily removed from the docking station using a push-down-and-tiltmotion. An electronic lock selectively prevents vertical movement of theleveling tray to secure the computer terminal within the dockingstation. The docking station may also include a key-operated lock, whichmay be used to unlock the docking station in the event of a power outageor if the electronic lock should fail.

The mobile workstation also carries a power converter and a power unitincluding an extended-life battery, a battery charger that connects toan AC power supply to charge the conventional battery located inside thecomputer terminal as well as the extended-life battery carried on themobile workstation. The power converter converts electrical powersupplied by the battery to a suitable electrical input source for thecomputer terminal and the terminal display. The rechargeable batterypower supply increases the battery life of the computer terminal toabout 8-12 hours, which allows use of the computer terminal for anextended time before having to fully recharge it. The power unitincludes two status-indicator lights to indicate when the unit isoperating on AC power and when the battery is low, and a seven-levelbattery status-indicator light. The power unit may also include a sensorthat indicates when the battery is low.

With the docking station configuration described above, a medicalpractitioner making the rounds can push the mobile workstation from roomto room and use the same computer terminal when attending each patient.The extended-life battery allows the mobile workstation to be used foran entire shift before recharging. The mobile workstation thuseliminates the need for locating a wall-mounted cradle and associatedcomputer terminal outside each patient's room. Because the dockingstation is vertically mounted, the computer terminal does not occupy thetop surface of the horizontal tray, which allows this area to be used asa work surface. The leveling tray allows the computer terminal to beeasily removed from, and replaced for storage within, the dockingstation with one hand. The electronic lock allows the docking station tobe easily locked and unlocked with one hand.

Another embodiment of the present invention may be embodied in a mobileworkstation that includes an adjustable-height horizontal tray on achassis, a vertically mounted display screen mounted above thehorizontal tray, a wireless computer terminal and a power convertermounted underneath the horizontal tray, a pull-out keyboard tray mountedbeneath the wireless computer terminal, and a power unit mounted to thechassis. The horizontal tray includes an underside front mountingbracket to support the wireless computer terminal, and a rear mountingbracket to support the power converter. The front mounting bracketsupports the wireless computer terminal adjacent to and beneath thehorizontal tray, leaving the work surface of the horizontal trayavailable for other operator uses. The back mounting bracket or wiringtray supports the power converter adjacent to and beneath the horizontaltray so that the power converter easily connects to the wirelesscomputer terminal. A tray housing mounted to the underside of thehorizontal tray supports a pull-out keyboard tray so that a keyboardmounted within the pull-out tray does not interfere with the frontmounting bracket or the rear mounting bracket. The keyboard communicateswith the computer terminal through a conventional electrical connectionso that the keyboard can be easily connected to the computer terminalwhenever the wireless computer terminal is stored within the mobileworkstation. The wireless computer terminal removably connects to thedisplay screen that mounts to the top surface of the horizontal traywith a tiltable bracket.

The mobile workstation also carries a power unit including anextended-life battery and a battery charger that connects to an AC powersupply to charge the conventional battery located inside or adjacent tothe wireless computer terminal as well as the extended-life batterycarried on the mobile workstation. Each battery connects to the powerconverter to supply power to the wireless computer terminal and theterminal display through the power converter. The rechargeable batterypower supply increases the battery life of the computer terminal toabout 8-12 hours, which allows use of the computer terminal for anextended time before having to fully recharge it. The power unitincludes two status-indicator lights to indicate when the unit isoperating on AC power and when the battery is low, and a seven-levelbattery status-indicator light. The power unit may also include a sensorthat indicates when the battery is low.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention may include anadjustable-height horizontal tray on a chassis, a wireless computerterminal mounted above the horizontal tray, a display screen mountedabove the wireless computer terminal, a pull-out keyboard tray mountedbeneath the horizontal tray, and a power unit mounted to the chassis.The horizontal tray includes a mounting bracket to support the wirelesscomputer terminal above the horizontal tray, leaving the part of thework surface of the horizontal tray available for other operator uses. Atray housing mounted to the underside of the horizontal tray supports apull-out keyboard tray so that a keyboard mounted within the pull-outtray does not interfere with the bottom of the horizontal tray. Thekeyboard communicates with the computer terminal through a conventionalelectrical connection so that the keyboard can be easily connected tothe computer terminal whenever the wireless computer terminal is storedwithin the mobile workstation. The wireless computer terminal removablyconnects to the display screen that mounts to the top surface of thehorizontal tray with a tiltable bracket.

The mobile workstation also carries a power converter and a power unitincluding an extended-life battery and a battery charger that connectsto an AC power supply to charge the conventional battery located insideor adjacent to the wireless computer terminal as well as theextended-life battery carried on the mobile workstation. Each batteryconnects to the power converter to supply power to the wireless computerterminal and the terminal display through the power converter. Therechargeable battery power supply increases the battery life of thecomputer terminal to about 8-12 hours, which allows use of the computerterminal for an extended time before having to fully recharge it. Thepower unit includes two status-indicator lights to indicate when theunit is operating on AC power and when the battery is low, and aseven-level battery status-indicator light. The power unit may alsoinclude a sensor that indicates when the battery is low.

With the wireless computer terminal configurations described above, amedical practitioner making the rounds can push the mobile workstationfrom room to room and use the same computer terminal when attending eachpatient. The extended-life battery allows the mobile workstation to beused for an entire shift before recharging. The mobile workstation thuseliminates the need for locating a wall-mounted cradle and associatedcomputer terminal outside each patient's room. When the computerterminal is mounted beneath the horizontal tray, the computer terminaldoes not occupy the top surface of the horizontal tray, which allowsthis area to be used as a work surface. The front mounting bracketallows the computer terminal to be easily removed from, and replaced forstorage within, the front mounting bracket. In the embodiment where thecomputer terminal is mounted above the horizontal tray, the computerterminal does not occupy the entire top surface of the horizontal tray,which allows the remaining area to be used as a work surface. In thisconfiguration, the mounting bracket above the horizontal tray allows thecomputer terminal to be easily removed from, and replaced for storagewithin, the mounting bracket.

The wireless computer terminal in a mobile workstation can alsocommunicate through a radio-frequency communication channel via a radiotransmitter/receiver terminal antenna attached to the top of thehorizontal tray. In this manner, the wireless computer terminal canexchange information with a computer network, such as a distributedpatient-care computer network.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mobile workstationcould be configured to support a device other than a docking station ora wireless computer terminal, such as a medical instrument. For example,the mobile workstation could be configured to support an ultra-sounddevice used to view a fetus. The docking station or the wirelesscomputer terminal could be removed from the mobile workstation, and asimilarly sized ultra-sound device could be placed within the mobileworkstation. The patient could then view the display screen of themobile workstation to see the results of the ultra-scan procedure. Manyother applications, both medical and non-medical, will become apparentto those skilled in the art from the examples described in thisspecification.

Turning now to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate likeelements throughout the several figures, FIG. 1 illustrates a mobileworkstation 10 in a typical environment, such as a patient's hospitalroom 5. The mobile workstation 10 includes an adjustable-heighthorizontal tray 12 supported by a chassis 14. The chassis 14 includes adolly assembly 16 that allows an operator, such as a medicalpractitioner, to easily push the mobile workstation 10 from place toplace. The horizontal tray 12 supports a docking station 18 that, inturn, removably supports a device, such as the wireless computerterminal 20 with a terminal display screen. The chassis 14 includes avertical beam 22 connecting the horizontal tray 12 to the dolly assembly16.

The vertical beam 22 includes a gas-spring height adjustment mechanismfor adjusting the length of the beam and, thus, the height of thehorizontal tray 12 above the dolly assembly 14. For example, the chassis14 may be a model MPC2001 manufactured by JACO, Inc. with the standardtray replaced by the horizontal tray 12 shown in FIG. 1. Those skilledin the art will appreciate that other types of wheeled chassis would besuitable for this purpose. In addition, other types of height adjustmentmechanisms would also be suitable, such as a rack and pinion mechanism,a cable and pulley mechanism, a ratchet mechanism, a ball screwmechanism, a removable pin and holes arrangement, and so forth.Nevertheless, a gas-spring height adjustment mechanism is preferredbecause it is easy operate and ergonomically desirable.

The mobile workstation 10 also carries a power unit 24 including a powerconverter, a battery charger, an extended-life battery, a power cord 26,and a recoil mechanism that automatically recoils the power cord whenthe cord is not plugged into an AC outlet. The power converter convertspower received from the power unit 24 to suitable power for the wirelesscomputer terminal 20. The power unit 24 is located on the lower end ofthe chassis 14. For example, the power unit 24 may reside between twometal beams in the dolly assembly 16 at the lower end of the chassis 14.The extended-life battery may be a 12-Volt sealed lead acid battery, andthe power supply may be a 120-Volt AC to 16-Volt DC converter.

The power unit 24 typically includes a first status-indicator light toinform the user when the unit is running on AC power, a secondstatus-indicator light to inform the user when the battery needsrecharging, and a seven-level battery status-indicator light to informthe user about the power status of the battery. The power unit 24 mayalso include an alarm or audible indicator to inform the user when theextended-life battery power needs recharging. The extended-life batterycan be recharged by connecting the plugging the power cord 26 into astandard 120-volt AC outlet. When not in use, the recoil mechanismretracts the power cord 26 into the power unit 24.

The wireless computer terminal 20 typically includes a radiotransmitter/receiver antenna for communicating over an approved radiofrequency. In particular, the wireless computer terminal 20 mayestablish a radio-frequency communication channel 28 with a distributedpatient-care computer network 30 through an antenna 32 connected to anetwork access point 34. This network access point is typically locatedin an enclosure 36 located above the ceiling of the hospital room. Thenetwork access point 34, in turn, allows the wireless computer terminal20 to communicate with the distributed patient-care computer network 30.For example, the network access point 34 may be a RANGELAN2 7500 SeriesAccess Point manufactured by PROXIM, INC. of Mountain View, Calif.

FIGS. 2A-2D are a series of side views of the mobile workstation 10illustrating the operation of an adjustable-height horizontal tray 12and the tiltable docking station 18. FIG. 2A shows the mobileworkstation 10 with the height-adjustable horizontal tray 12 in avertically lowered position. To raise the tray, the operator places hisor her hand through an opening 40 in the side of the horizontal tray 12.The operator then lifts a release lever 42, which releases a stop in thegas-spring height adjustment mechanism in the vertical beam. Theoperator then raises or lowers the horizontal tray 12 while holding therelease lever 42 in a raised position.

Assistance provided by the gas-spring height adjustment mechanism allowsthe operator to change the height of the horizontal tray 12 with littleeffort. Once the horizontal tray 12 is at a desired height, representedby the height shown in FIG. 2B, the operator releases the lever 42,which locks the tray at the desired height. With this type of mechanism,the operator can quickly and easily place the horizontal tray 12 atvirtually any height within the adjustment range of the gas-springheight adjustment mechanism. The assistance provided by the gas-springheight adjustment is ergonomically desirable in that it avoids backstrain or other lifting problems that could otherwise be encountered byoperators using the mobile workstation 10.

FIG. 2C illustrates the mobile workstation 10 with the docking station18 in a vertical position. A tiltable bracket 44 attaches the dockingstation 18 to the horizontal tray 12. A clutch 46 in the tiltablebracket maintains the docking station 18 in a number of selectablerotational positions relative to the tray 12. The rotational range ofthe tiltable bracket 44 is preferably about 30 degrees rearward fromvertical. That is, the tiltable bracket 44 preferably allows the dockingstation 18 to be rotated from the position shown in FIG. 2C to theposition shown in FIG. 2D. The tiltable bracket 44 could also beconfigured to allow the docking station 18 to rotate forward through asimilar rotational range.

It should be understood that the term “substantially vertical” mayinclude a range about a strictly vertical orientation, represented bythe 30 degree range illustrated by FIGS. 2C-D. For example, the term“substantially vertical” includes configurations in which the bracket 44maintains the docking station 18 in a strictly vertical orientation, orat a fixed rotational orientation with a vertical component, or within arange of rotational orientations including orientations that includevertical components. Alternatively, the docking station 18 could besupported in a substantially horizontal position, for example by adrawer or pull-out tray located above or under the horizontal tray 12.Other locations for the docking station 18 may be preferred in certainenvironments. For example, the docking station could be mounted to theside of the horizontal tray 12, to the underside of the horizontal tray12, to the dolly assembly 16, to the vertical beam 22, and so forth.

The clutch 46 imparts sufficient rotational resistance to maintain thedocking station 18, with an associated computer terminal 20, at any ofthe rotational aspects within the rotational range defined by thetiltable bracket 44. At the same time, the rotational resistanceimparted by the clutch 46 is pliant enough to allow the operator tochange the rotational orientation of the docking station 18 with onehand. For example, the operator may easily adjust the angle of thedocking station 18 to avoid glare on the display screen of the computerterminal 20. The tiltable bracket 44 and the clutch 46 are described ingreater detail with reference to FIGS. 6A-B and 7A-C below.

FIGS. 3A-3D are a series of perspective views of the docking station 18and an associated wireless computer terminal 20 showing thepush-down-and-tilt motion used to remove the terminal from the dockingstation. The docking station 20 includes a base 50, a back plane 52, andtwo spaced-apart retaining arms 54 and 56. When the computer terminal 20is located in the docking station, the retaining arms 54 and 56 supportthe top side 62 of the terminal. The base 50 includes a leveling tray 58with a rubber cushion 60 for receiving the bottom side of the computerterminal 20. The rubber cushion 60 includes raised collars on either endthat prevent the computer terminal 20 from being removed from thedocking station 18 when the leveling tray 58 is locked in the upperposition, as shown in FIG. 3A.

The docking station 18 includes a control panel 62 having a keypad 64,typically with four keys. The docking station 18 may be configured sothat the keypad 64 operates as an electronic combination lock. Theleveling tray 58 can be depressed when the docking station is unlockedand, when the docking station 18 is locked, the leveling tray 58 cannotbe depressed. The docking station 18 may also include a manual key lockthat may be used to lock and unlock the docking station in the event ofa power outage or a malfunction of the electronic lock.

The control panel 62 may also include status lights 64 a-c that indicatestatus information regarding the docking station 18. For example, thesestatus lights typically indicate whether the docking station is locked,whether power is on, and provide status information while a user isconfiguring the docking station with passwords. A touch-pin batterycharging terminal 68 or other conventional electrical connection locatedin the leveling tray 58 may be used to charge a battery within thecomputer terminal 20 while the terminal is stored within the dockingstation 18. This battery charging terminal, in turn, is connected to thepower unit 24. The power unit includes the power cord 26, which may beplugged into a standard 120 Volt AC outlet. In addition, the dockingstation 18 may include a communication interface, such as an opticalinterface, for communicating data between the computer terminal 20 andthe docking station 18 while the terminal is stored within the dockingstation. This allows the computer terminal 20 to communicate with thekeypad 64 and/or an optional keyboard that plugs into the dockingstation 18.

To remove the computer terminal 20, an operator first unlocks thedocking station 18 and then places his or her hand on the top side 62 ofthe terminal and pushes downward. Provided that the docking station 18is unlocked, this motion depresses the leveling tray 58, as shown inFIG. 3B. The operator then tilts the terminal 20 forward, as shown inFIG. 3C, and removes the terminal 20, as shown in FIG. 3D. An example ofa suitable docking station is described in commonly owned U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/841,496, entitled “Cradle For Holding A Device,”filed Apr. 23, 1997, which is incorporated into this specification byreference.

FIGS. 4A-B are perspective views of the mobile workstation 10 showingthe operation of a pull-out keyboard tray 70, which is supported by theunderside of the horizontal tray 12. The pull-out keyboard tray 70slides from an inner position, shown in FIG. 4A, to an outer position,shown in FIG. 4B. A keyboard mounted on the keyboard tray 70 typicallyplugs into the docking station 18, which communicates keystrokes withthe computer terminal 20 by way of a conventional electrical connection.This allows an operator to easily remove the computer terminal 20 fromthe docking station 18.

In FIGS. 4A-4B, the top portion of a rectangular cover for the verticalbeam 22 has been removed, showing an underlying shaft 72 and a powercable 73 connecting the power unit 24 to the docking station 18. Thisshaft 72 connects to the gas-spring height adjustment mechanism 74 thatallows adjustment of the height of the horizontal tray 12. Thegas-spring height adjustment mechanism 74, which is located at thebottom of the vertical beam 22, sits on top of the dolly assembly 16.This dolly assembly includes an arched cross-beam 76 that connects totwo horizontal runner beams 78 a-b. Two casters, represented by thecaster 80, are connected to the bottom sides of each horizontal runnerbeam 78 a-b. The power unit 24 is mounted below the arched cross beam 76to an arched support plate 82, which connects between the horizontalrunner beams 78 a-b.

FIGS. 4A-B also show that the top side of the horizontal tray 12 definesa substantially horizontal work surface 86, which is bordered by araised edge guard 88. The rear edge of the horizontal tray 12 includes arecess 90 for the docking station 18, which defines an elongatedimension 92 and a relatively slender dimension 94. That is, the dockingstation 18 is substantially taller than it is thick. The tiltablemounting bracket 44 supports the docking station 18 so that the elongatedimension 92 is substantially vertical and the relatively slenderdimension 94 is substantially horizontal. Because the docking station 18is vertically mounted, the terminal 20 does not occupy the top surface86 of the horizontal tray 12, which allows this area to be used as awork surface. In addition, the computer terminal 20 typically includes adisplay screen 96, and the docking station 18 supports the terminal withthe display screen substantially perpendicular to and above the topsurface 86 of the horizontal tray 12 for easy viewing. It will beunderstood that the term “substantially perpendicular” includes a rangeof orientations because the docking station 18 may rotate through arotational range about a strictly perpendicular orientation.

FIG. 5A is a side view of the horizontal tray 12 showing the access hole40 and the release lever 42 for raising and lowering the horizontal tray12. The release lever 42 operates the gas-spring height adjustmentlever, which is shown best in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A also shows the end of thepull-out keyboard tray 70, which includes a lip 98 to aid in pulling thekeyboard tray out and pushing it back in.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the horizontal tray 12 showing theaccess hole 40 and the release lever 42 for raising and lowering thehorizontal tray 12. FIG. 5B also shows the top surface 86, the edgeguard 88, and the recess 90 of the horizontal tray 12. The top surface86 of the horizontal tray 12 is preferably constructed from a non-porousmaterial, such as plastic or metal. For example, the horizontal tray 12may be constructed from a flat wooden, particle board, or compositesubstrate covered with a plastic overlay defining the top surface 86 andthe edge guard 88. The plastic overlay may be created with an injectionmold, and then glued to the substrate. The bracket 44 includes mountingbrackets 102 a-b and a back plane 100 supporting the docking station.The back plane 100 may be formed from a heavy gauge sheet metal,fiberglass, or composite. The sides 103 and bottom 104 the horizontaltray 12 may be formed from sheet metal.

FIG. 6A is a back view, and FIG. 6B is a reverse view, of the horizontaltray 12 showing the tiltable bracket 44, including the back plane 100and mounting brackets 102 a-b. The mounting brackets 102 a-b are boltedto the rear side of the horizontal tray 12 and extend into the recess 90so that the back plane 100 is approximately flush with the rear side ofthe horizontal tray 12 when the back plane is in a vertical position.The mounting brackets 102 a-b each include an arcuate slot 106 a-b toallow the back plane 100 to rotate through a rotational range withrespect to the mounting brackets. For example, that rotational range isapproximately 30 degrees in the configuration shown in FIGS. 6A-B.Clutch assemblies 46 a-b at the connections between the mountingbrackets 102 a-b the back plane 100 support the back plane 100, with anassociated docking station 18 and computer terminal 20, in virtually anyrotational orientation within the rotational range defined by the slots106 a-b.

FIG. 7A is an exploded view the mounting brackets 102 a-b and the clutchassemblies 46 a-b. Referring to the clutch assembly 46 b forillustration purposes, this assembly includes two identical connectionassemblies 110 a-b. Referring now to the connection assembly 110 a forillustration purposes, this assembly includes a threaded standoff 112including a collar that passes through a hole in the support frame 114of the back plane 100 and a rim that catches on the support frame. Thethreaded standoff 112 is preferably press-fitted into the hole in thesupport frame 114.

The connection assembly 110 a also includes a nylon shoulder washer 116including a collar that passes through a hole in the mounting bracket 44b and a rim that catches on the mounting bracket. The collar of nylonshoulder washer 116 is sized to snugly receive the threaded standoff112. The connection assembly 110 a also includes a nylon washer 118, twosteel washers 120 and 122, and a steel spring washer 124 positioned forcompression between the steel washers. A bolt 126 passes through thesewashers and screws into the threaded standoff 112. The bolt 126 may betightened into the threaded standoff 112 to compress the steel springwasher 124 and provide a desired amount of resistance in the connectionassembly 110 a.

FIG. 7B is a side view of the spring washer 124, and FIG. 7C is aperspective view of the spring washer. These figures show that thespring washer 124 has a slight conical shape that is raised in themiddle with respect to the outer perimeter. This type of spring washerprovides a compact and inexpensive mechanism for imparting an adjustableamount of resistance in the connection assembly 110 a. Those skilled inthe art will appreciate that other types of clutch assemblies could beemployed in embodiments of the invention.

Another embodiment of a mobile workstation is shown in FIG. 8illustrates a mobile workstation 210 in a typical environment, such as apatient's hospital room 205. The mobile workstation 210 includes anadjustable-height horizontal tray 212 supported by a chassis 214. Thechassis 214 includes a dolly assembly 216 that allows an operator, suchas a medical practitioner, to easily push the mobile workstation 210from place to place. The horizontal tray 212 includes an underside trayhousing 218, an underside front mounting bracket 220, and an undersideback mounting bracket 222 or wiring tray.

The tray housing 218 supports a keyboard (not shown) or keypad for awireless computer terminal (not shown). The wireless computer terminalmounts within the front mounting bracket 220. The back mounting bracket222 or wiring tray supports a power converter (not shown) supplyingpower to the wireless computer terminal. A tiltable display screen 224attaches to the top of the horizontal tray 212 while connecting to thewireless computer terminal. The back mounting bracket 222 or wiring traycan also support additional power converters for the display screen 224or for other electrical devices associated with the mobile workstation210.

The chassis 214 includes a vertical beam 226 connecting the horizontaltray 212 to the dolly assembly 216. The vertical beam 226 includes agas-spring height adjustment mechanism (not shown) and a release lever228 for adjusting the length of the beam 226 and, thus, the height ofthe horizontal tray 212 above the dolly assembly 216. For example, thechassis 214 may be a model MPC2001 manufactured by JACO, Inc. with thestandard tray replaced by the horizontal tray 212 shown in FIG. 8. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that other types of wheeled chassiswould be suitable for this purpose. In addition, other types of heightadjustment mechanisms would also be suitable, such as a rack and pinionmechanism, a cable and pulley mechanism, a ratchet mechanism, a ballscrew mechanism, a removable pin and holes arrangement, and so forth.Nevertheless, a gas-spring height adjustment mechanism 228 is preferredbecause it is easy operate and ergonomically desirable.

The mobile workstation 210 also carries a power converter (not shown)within the back mounting bracket 222 and a power unit 230 including abattery charger, an extended-life battery, a power cord 232, and arecoil mechanism that can retract the power cord when the cord is not inuse. The power unit 230 supplies power to the wireless computer terminalthrough the power converter. The power unit 230 is located on the lowerend of the chassis 214. For example, the power unit 230 may residebetween two metal beams in the dolly assembly 216 at the lower end ofthe chassis 214. A suitable power unit 230 is a 26 Amp-Hour batteryproviding a regulated 10-16 Volt output at 40 watts with an automaticlow power cut-off. The extended-life battery may be a 12-Volt sealedlead acid battery, and the battery charger may be a 120-Volt AC to16-Volt DC converter.

The power unit 230 typically includes a first status-indicator light toinform the user when the unit is operating off of AC power, a secondstatus-indicator light to inform the user when the battery needsrecharging, and a seven-level battery status-indicator light. The powerunit 230 may also include a sound indicator that beeps to inform theuser when the extended-life battery needs recharging. When plugged intoan AC outlet, the battery charger will charge both the extended-lifebattery and operate the wireless computer terminal by supplying thepower converter connected to the computer terminal. The extended-lifebattery can be recharged by plugging the power cord 232 into a standard120-volt AC outlet. When not in use, the recoil mechanism can retractthe power cord 232 into the power unit 230.

The wireless computer terminal inside the mobile workstation 210communicates through a radio transmitter/receiver terminal antenna 234attached to the top of the horizontal tray 212. The terminal antenna 234is operable for communicating over an approved radio frequency. Asuitable radio transmitter/receiver to mount to the wireless computerterminal is a Lucent Extended 802.11 radio with a cable for using anexternal antenna. A suitable terminal antenna 234 for mounting to thehorizontal tray 212 is a whip antenna used in DOS VMT products(1380/1390, 1320/1330). In particular, the wireless computer terminalmay establish a radio-frequency communication channel 236 with adistributed patient-care computer network 238 through an antenna 240connected to a network access point 242. This network access point 242is typically located in an enclosure 244 located above the ceiling ofthe hospital room. The network access point 242, in turn, allows thewireless computer terminal to communicate with the distributedpatient-care computer network 238. For example, the network access point242 may be a RANGELAN2 7500 Series Access Point manufactured by PROXIM,INC. of Mountain View, Calif.

FIGS. 9A-9D are a series of side views of the mobile workstation 210illustrating the operation of an adjustable-height horizontal tray 212and the display screen 224. FIG. 9A shows the mobile workstation 210with the height-adjustable horizontal tray 212 in a vertically loweredposition. To raise the tray 212, the operator places his or her handthrough an access opening 246 in the side of the tray housing 218. Theoperator then lifts the release lever 228, which releases a stop in thegas-spring height adjustment mechanism (not shown) in the vertical beam226. The operator then raises or lowers the horizontal tray 212 whileholding the release lever 228 in a raised position.

Assistance provided by the gas-spring height adjustment mechanism allowsthe operator to change the height of the horizontal tray 212 with littleeffort. Once the horizontal tray 212 is at a desired height, representedby the height shown in FIG. 9B, the operator releases the lever 228,which locks the tray 212 at the desired height. With this type ofmechanism, the operator can quickly and easily place the horizontal tray212 at virtually any height within the adjustment range of thegas-spring height adjustment mechanism. The assistance provided by thegas-spring height adjustment is ergonomically desirable in that itavoids back strain or other lifting problems that could otherwise beencountered by operators using the mobile workstation 210.

FIG. 9C illustrates the mobile workstation 210 with the display screen224 in a vertical position. A tiltable bracket 248 attaches the displayscreen 224 to the horizontal tray 212. The tiltable bracket 248maintains the display screen 224 in a number of selectable rotationalpositions relative to the tray 212 so that the display screen 224 is infront of users for ease of visibility. The rotational range of thetiltable bracket 248 is preferably about 30 degrees rearward fromvertical. That is, the tiltable bracket 248 preferably allows thedisplay screen 224 to be rotated from the position shown in FIG. 9C tothe position shown in FIG. 9D. The tiltable bracket 248 could also beconfigured to allow the display screen 224 to rotate forward through asimilar rotational range.

It should be understood that the term “substantially vertical” mayinclude a range about a strictly vertical orientation, represented bythe 30 degree range illustrated by FIGS. 9C-9D. For example, the term“substantially vertical” includes configurations in which the bracket248 maintains the display screen 224 in a strictly vertical orientation,or at a fixed rotational orientation with a vertical component, orwithin a range of rotational orientations including orientations thatinclude vertical components. Alternatively, the display screen 224 couldbe supported in a substantially horizontal position, for example by adrawer or pull-out tray located above or under the horizontal tray 212.Other locations for the display screen 224 may be preferred in certainenvironments. For example, the display screen 224 could be mounted tothe side of the horizontal tray 212, to the underside of the horizontaltray 212, to the dolly assembly 216, to the vertical beam 226, and soforth.

The tiltable bracket 248 imparts sufficient rotational resistance tomaintain the display screen 224, with an associated computer terminal(not shown), at any of the rotational aspects within the rotationalrange defined by the tiltable bracket 248. At the same time, therotational resistance imparted by the tiltable bracket 248 is pliantenough to allow the operator to change the rotational orientation of thedisplay screen 224 with one hand. For example, the operator may easilyadjust the angle of the display screen 224 to avoid glare on the displayscreen 224. A clutch mechanism similar to that discussed with referenceto FIG. 7 may be used to allow selective rotation of the display screen224.

FIGS. 10A-10B are perspective views of the mobile workstation 210showing the operation of a pull-out keyboard tray 250, which issupported by the tray housing 218 attached to the underside of thehorizontal tray 212. The pull-out keyboard tray 250 slides from an innerposition, shown in FIG. 10A, to an outer position, shown in FIG. 10B,along conventional rollers (not shown) within a conventional rollerguide slots (not shown). Typically, rollers mounted to the bottom sideof the keyboard tray 250 fit within roller guide slots attached to thetop side of the tray housing 218. A keyboard (not shown) fits within thepull-out keyboard tray 250. The pull-out keyboard tray 250 is to detentwhen fully extended away from the front edge of the tray housing 218,permitting the operator to type on the keyboard without the keyboardtray 250 sliding back into the tray housing 218. When the pull-outkeyboard tray 250 is in the retracted position, the keyboard tray 250will not slide out during movement or transport of the mobileworkstation 210.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the pull-out keyboard tray 250 can be extendedoutward from the front end of the tray housing 218. The rollers on thebottom of the pull-out keyboard tray 250 permit the pull-out tray 250 toroll forward within the roller guide slots along the length of the topside of the tray housing 218. The roller guide slots have a physicalstop at the front end of the tray housing 218. When a roller makescontact with the physical stop at the front end of the tray housing 218,the pull-out keyboard tray 250 cannot be extended any further from thefront edge of the tray housing 218.

In FIGS. 10A-10B, the top portion of a rectangular cover for thevertical beam 226 has been removed, showing an underlying shaft 252 anda power cable 254 connecting the power unit 230 to the power converter(not shown). This shaft 252 connects to the gas-spring height adjustmentmechanism 256 that allows adjustment of the height of the horizontaltray 212. The gas-spring height adjustment mechanism 256, which islocated at the bottom of the vertical beam 226, sits on top of the dollyassembly 216. This dolly assembly includes an arched cross-beam 258 thatconnects to two horizontal runner beams 260 a-b. Two casters,represented by the caster 262, are connected to the bottom sides of eachhorizontal runner beam 260 a-b. For example, a suitable size caster is aconventional 5″ caster. The power unit 230 is mounted below the archedcross beam 258 with a support bracket 264, which connects between thehorizontal runner beams 260 a-b.

FIGS. 10A-10B also show that the top side 266 of the horizontal tray 212defines a substantially horizontal work surface. The tiltable bracket248 supports the display screen 224 so that the elongate dimension 268is substantially vertical and the relatively slender dimension 270 issubstantially horizontal. Because the display screen 224 is verticallymounted, the display screen 224 does not occupy a substantial portion ofthe top surface 266 of the horizontal tray 212, which allows this areato be used as a work surface. It will be understood that the term“substantially vertical” includes a range of orientations because thedisplay screen 224 may rotate through a rotational range about astrictly perpendicular orientation.

FIG. 11A is a side view of the horizontal tray 212 and the attached trayhousing 218 showing the access opening 246 and the release lever 228 forraising and lowering the horizontal tray 212. The release lever 228operates the gas-spring height adjustment mechanism 256 previously shownin FIGS. 10A-10B. The access opening 246 in the side wall of the trayhousing 218 provides convenient operator access to actuate the releaselever 228.

FIG. 11B is a perspective view of the horizontal tray 212 showing theaccess opening 246 and the release lever 228 for raising and loweringthe horizontal tray 212. Typically, the release lever 228 has a tee or apaddle on the end, so that an operator can conveniently actuate therelease lever 228 thereby raising or lowering the gas-spring heightadjustment mechanism 256.

FIG. 11B also shows the top surface 266 of the horizontal tray 212. Thetop surface 266 of the horizontal tray 212 is preferably constructedfrom a non-porous material, such as plastic or metal. For example, thehorizontal tray 212 may be constructed from a flat wooden, particleboard, or composite substrate covered with a plastic overlay definingthe top surface 266. The plastic overlay may be created with aninjection mold, and then glued to the substrate. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that other types of horizontal trays could beemployed in embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 12A-12C are a series of detailed views of the mobile workstation210 of FIG. 8, with the display screen 224, a keyboard 272, a wirelesscomputer terminal 274, and a power unit 230. FIG. 12A is a perspectiveview of the mobile workstation 210 illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 12B is aside view of the mobile workstation 210 illustrated in FIG. 12A. FIG.12C is a front view of the mobile workstation 210 illustrated in FIG.12A.

In FIG. 12A, the mobile workstation 210 is shown with a display screen224 mounted to the top surface of the horizontal tray 212. A tiltablebracket 248 connects the display screen 224 to the top of the horizontaltray 212. Conventional electrical connections (not shown) provide aninterface between the wireless computer terminal 274 and the displayscreen 224. A suitable display screen 224 is a flat panel LCD with a14-15″ TFT viewable screen, a minimum video resolution of 1024.times.768pixels, a minimum 200 nit, and a DC power input. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that other types of display screens could beemployed in embodiments of the invention, including those having touchperformance screens.

As shown in FIG. 12B, a front mounting bracket 220 mounts to the bottomside 278 of the horizontal tray 212, and holds the computer terminal 274substantially parallel to the bottom side 278 of the front portion ofthe horizontal tray 212. The front mounting bracket 220 is sized tosupport the wireless computer terminal 274, such as a laptop computer,within the front bracket 220 and adjacent to the bottom side of thehorizontal tray 212. The front mounting bracket 220 has an access window280 in the side wall for operator access to various ports or interfacesin the side of the wireless computer terminal 274.

The wireless computer terminal 274 may include a communicationinterface, such as an optical interface or a conventional electricalconnection, for communicating data between the computer terminal 274 andthe keyboard 272. The communication interface between the keyboard 272and the computer terminal 274 allow the keyboard 272 to communicatekeystrokes to the computer terminal 274. This type of operation permitsan operator to easily remove the computer terminal 274 from the frontmounting bracket 220, or to remove the keyboard 272 from the keyboardtray 250. As previously described in FIG. 8, the wireless computerterminal 274 can then send signals through the terminal antenna 234attached to the top surface 266 of the horizontal tray 212 tocommunicate with a remote computer network (shown in FIG. 8 as 238) viaa radio frequency communication channel (shown in FIG. 8 as 236).

A suitable wireless computer terminal is an Orion PC manufactured byNetier Technologies. The variety of computer terminal models offeredunder the Orion PC family includes a “Thin Client” configuration, or a“Fat” system. For example, the “Fat” system comprises an ACD-MSX-100base unit with a Pentium 266 MHz microprocessor on a Socket 7motherboard operating a MICROSOFT Windows 95 operating system, 32-128 MBRAM, 2 MB Video RAM, 2 GB hard disk, two Type II PCMCIA slots, one TypeIII PCMCIA slot, one parallel port, one serial port, one video port, oneLCD port, dual USB ports, one PS/2 keyboard/mouse port, one IrDa port,and one battery module. Optional accessories for the Orion PC familyinclude an automobile cigarette lighter charger/adaptor, and ACcharger/adaptor, a second battery module, a floppy disk drive, and aCD-ROM or CD-R drive. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatother computer terminals can be used in conjunction with the presentinvention to achieve the same purpose.

Many different computer interfaces may be used to input data into thewireless computer terminal, including a keyboard, a keypad, a scanner, aserial mouse, or any other similar type of input device. A suitablekeyboard for use with the wireless computer terminal is a thin Cherrykeyboard with a PS/2 interface. An optional plastic keyboard coverprotects the keyboard from spills during usage. Other computerinterfaces for the wireless computer terminal include a PSC Q6000scanner with a PS/2 interface, a serial mouse, and a Y-cable to mergethe keyboard and the scanner inputs.

Typically, a conventional electrical connection (not shown) between thewireless computer terminal 274 and the power converter provides aninterface between the computer terminal 274 and the power converter.Conventional electrical connections such an automobile adaptor plug, ora touch-pin battery charging terminal can be used with a wirelesscomputer terminal 274 to provide an interface with the power converterwithin the back mounting bracket 222. The power converter, in turn, isconnected to the power unit 230 by the power cable (shown in FIG. 10A as254). The power unit 230 can then be plugged into a standard 120 Volt ACoutlet with the power cord 232.

The back mounting bracket 222 or wiring tray also mounts to the bottomside 278 of the horizontal tray 212. The back mounting bracket 222 orwiring tray supports the power converter substantially parallel to andadjacent to the bottom side 278 of the horizontal tray 212. The powerconverter is supported within the sidewalls of the back mounting bracket222, which can further support cables (not shown) for other devicesconnected to the computer terminal 274, such as a mouse, keypad, orother similar devices, or support other power converters for otherelectrical devices associated with the mobile workstation 210. A seriesof ventilation holes 282 machined in the sidewall of the back mountingbracket 222 assist in venting heat away from the power converter mountedwithin the back bracket 222.

The tray housing 218 is also attached the bottom side 278 of thehorizontal tray 212. The tray housing 218 is sized to fit over the frontmounting bracket 220 and the back mounting bracket 222 leavingsufficient clearance between the topside of the tray housing 218 andboth the front bracket 220 and the back bracket 222. Sufficientclearance between the tray housing 218 and the front mounting bracket220 permits the installation of a keyboard 272 or keypad within thepull-out keyboard tray 250 in the tray housing 218, so that the keyboard272 does not interfere with the bottom of the front mounting bracket 220when the pull-out keyboard tray 250 is fully retracted within the trayhousing 218 as shown.

The access opening 246 in the side wall of the tray housing 218 permitsoperator access to various ports or interfaces on the side of thewireless computer terminal 274 through the access window 280 of thefront mounting bracket 220. The size of the access opening 246 alsopermits operator access to actuate the release lever 228 of the gasspring height adjustment mechanism (shown in FIG. 10A as 256) to raiseor lower the height of the mobile workstation 210 as shown in FIGS.9A-9B and FIGS. 11A-11B.

FIG. 12B shows the pull-out keyboard tray 250 in a retracted positionwithin the tray housing 218. The display screen 224 of the mobileworkstation 210 is shown in a substantially vertical orientation to thehorizontal tray 212. In this configuration, an operator can transportthe mobile workstation 210 from one area to another area, or use the topsurface 266 of the horizontal tray 212 as a work surface. The length 284of the horizontal runner beams 260 a-b is approximately 21.3 inches.

FIG. 12C shows a front view of the mobile workstation 210 in FIG. 12A.The computer terminal 274 is shown mounted within the front mountingbracket 220 and above the keyboard 272 mounted within the pull-outkeyboard tray 250. The height 286 from the top surface 266 of thehorizontal tray 212 to the floor is approximately 38.6 inches when thetray 212 is in the lowermost position. The height 288 from the top edgeof the display screen 224 in a fully vertical orientation to the flooris approximately 54.5 inches when the tray 212 is in the lowermostposition. The width 290 between the outboard ends of the horizontalrunner beams 260 a-b is approximately 21.4 inches. Other heights 286,288 for the horizontal tray 212 and the display screen 224 can beattained when the mobile workstation is adjusted for ease ofaccessibility and visibility.

FIGS. 13A-13D illustrate a series of views of the horizontal tray 212 ofthe mobile workstation 210 of FIG. 8 with an attached tray housing 218,front mounting bracket 220, back mounting bracket 222, and pull-outkeyboard tray 250. FIG. 13A shows a perspective view of the horizontaltray 212 shown in FIG. 8, with an attached tray housing 218 extendingfrom the bottom side of the horizontal tray 212.

FIG. 13B shows the top view of the horizontal tray 212. The top surfaceof the horizontal tray 212 is rectangular in shape with rounded edges atthe front side 292, the left side 294, and right side 296. The rear side298 of the horizontal tray 212 has a square edge. The width 300 of thehorizontal tray 212 from the left side 294 to the right side 296 isapproximately 18.0 inches. The depth 302 of the horizontal tray 212 fromthe front edge 292 to the rear edge 298 is approximately 19.4 inches. Aseries of four mounting holes 304 a-d is machined into the rear portionof the top surface 266 of the horizontal tray 212 to correspond with aset of mounting bolts (not shown) used to secure the base of thetiltable bracket (shown in FIGS. 12A-12C as 248) to the top surface 266of the horizontal tray 212. A first hole 306 in the left rear portion ofthe top surface 266 of the horizontal tray 212 provides access for thedisplay screen cables (not shown) to extend from the display screen 224to the computer terminal 274 underneath the horizontal tray 212. Asecond hole 308 machined in the left rear portion of the horizontal tray212 provides a mount for the terminal antenna 234 permitting thewireless computer terminal 274 to communicate with a computer network(shown in FIG. 8 as 238) via radio frequency communication channel(shown in FIG. 8 as 236).

FIG. 13C shows the front view of the horizontal tray 212 shown in FIG.13A, with a wireless computer terminal 274 within the front mountingbracket 220, and a keyboard 272 within the pull-out keyboard tray 250mounted to the tray housing 218. Each side wall 310 a-b of the trayhousing 218 curves inward at the top portion of the side wall providinga mounting lip 312 a-b to attach the tray housing 218 to the bottom side278 of the horizontal tray 212. Holes (not shown) are machined in themounting lip 312 a-b to correspond with bolts (not shown) to attach thetray housing 218 securely to the bottom side 278 of the horizontal tray212.

A pull-out keyboard tray 250 is supported between the side walls 310 a-bof the tray housing 218 and substantially parallel to the top side ofthe tray housing 218. The pull-out tray 250 can be extended or retractedfrom the front of the tray housing 218. As described previously,conventional rollers (not shown) mounted on the bottom of the pull-outtray 250 correspond with guide slots (not shown) mounted or machinedinto the top side of the tray housing 218. The keyboard 272 fits withinthe pull-out keyboard tray 250 so that the keyboard 272 does notinterfere with the front mounting bracket 220 when the pull-out keyboardtray 250 is retracted within the tray housing 218.

FIG. 13D shows a side view of the horizontal tray 212 shown in FIG. 13A,with an attached tray housing 218, front mounting bracket 220, backmounting bracket 222 or wiring tray, and pull-out keyboard tray 250. Thefront mounting bracket 220 mounts towards the front portion of thehorizontal tray 212, providing operator access to the computer terminal274 from the front edge 292 of the horizontal tray 212. The backmounting bracket 222 or wiring tray mounts towards the rear portion ofthe horizontal tray 212, flush with the rear edge 298 of the bottom side278 of the horizontal tray 212. The tray housing 218 mounts near thefront edge of the bottom side 278 of the horizontal tray 212,substantially overlapping the front mounting bracket 220 and partiallyoverlapping the back mounting bracket 222. The access opening 246 in theside wall of the tray housing 218 permits operator access to the variousports or interfaces in the side of the wireless computer terminal 274through the access window 280 of the front mounting bracket 220. Theheight 314 of the horizontal tray 212 with the attached tray housing 218measured from the top surface 266 of the horizontal tray 212 to thebottom side of the tray housing 218 is approximately 4.7 inches.

FIGS. 14A-14D illustrate the details of the front mounting bracket 220shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 14A shows a perspective view of a front mountingbracket 220. The front mounting bracket 220 is sized to receive awireless computer terminal 274 between two side walls 316 a-b and on thetop surface 318 of the front bracket 220. Each side wall 316 a-b of thefront bracket 220 is shaped with a mounting lip 320 a-b extending alongthe top of each side wall 316 a-b for mounting the front bracket 220 tothe bottom surface 278 of the horizontal tray 212. Two bolt holes 322a-d are machined through each mounting lip 320 a-b to receive bolts (notshown) attaching the front bracket 220 to the bottom surface 278 of thehorizontal tray 212. Access windows 324, 326 are cut into each side wall316 a-b of the front bracket 220 to permit user access to the ports orinterfaces on each side of the wireless computer terminal 274. Anelongated access opening 328 along the rear portion of the front bracket220 permits user access to the ports or interfaces on the bottom of thewireless computer terminal 274. Four tongue protrusions 330 a-d from thetop surface 318 of the front bracket 220 position the wireless computerterminal 274 within the front bracket, between the side walls 316 a-band flush against the rear edge 132 of the front bracket 220. Two of thetongue protrusions 330 b, 330 d extend from and are parallel to the rearedge 332 of the front bracket 220 to prevent the wireless computerterminal 274 from extending past the rear edge 332 of the front bracket220. The other two tongue protrusions 330 a, 330 d extend upward fromthe top surface 318 of the front bracket 220 and run parallel with theside walls 316 a-b of the front bracket 220 to position the wirelesscomputer terminal 274 between the side walls 316 a-b of the frontbracket 220 and towards the center portion of the front bracket 220. Thetongue protrusions 330 a-d are used to position the wireless computerterminal 274 within the front bracket 220. Other types of positioningstructures or methods may be used in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 14B shows a top view of the front mounting bracket 220 in FIG. 14A.The front mounting bracket 220 can be manufactured from 1/16 inchthickness sheet steel, or any other suitable material. The width 334 ofthe front bracket 220 measured from the interior of the left sidewall316 a to the interior of the right sidewall 316 b is approximately 14.3inches. The width 336 of the front bracket 220 measured from theoutboard end of the left sidewall mounting lip 320 a to the rightsidewall mounting lip 320 b is approximately 15.5 inches. The depth 338of the front bracket 220 measured from the front edge 340 to the rearedge 332 is approximately 7.4 inches.

FIG. 14C shows a front view of the front mounting bracket 220 shown inFIG. 14A. The height 342 of the front mounting bracket 220 measured fromthe top of either mounting lip 320 a-b to the bottom side 344 of thefront bracket 220 is approximately 2.522 inches.

FIG. 14D shows a side view of the front mounting bracket 220 shown inFIG. 14A. The access windows 324, 326 cut into the side walls 316 a-b ofthe front bracket 220 are sized to permit access to ports or interfaceson the sides of the wireless computer terminal (shown in FIG. 13D as274).

FIGS. 15A-15D illustrate the details of the back mounting bracket 222 orwiring tray shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 15A shows a perspective view of a backmounting bracket 222 or wiring tray. The back mounting bracket 222 orwiring tray is sized to receive a power converter (shown within the backmounting bracket 222 in FIG. 12B as 276) between two side walls 342 a-b,a rear wall 344, and the top surface 346 of the back mounting bracket222. The back mounting bracket 222 or wiring tray can also supportassociated cables or other power converters associated with the mobileworkstation 210. The side walls 342 a-b of the back bracket 222 areshaped with a mounting lip 348 a-b extending along the top of each sidewall 142 a-b for mounting the back bracket 222 to the bottom surface(shown in FIG. 13D as 278) of the horizontal tray (shown in FIG. 13D as212). A single bolt hole 350 a-b is machined through each curvedmounting lip 348 a-b to receive bolts (not shown) attaching the backmounting bracket 222 to the bottom surface 278 of the horizontal tray212. The series of ventilation holes 282 machined into the side walls342 a-b of the back bracket 222 permit the ventilation of heat from thepower converter 276 within the back bracket, allowing subsequent coolingof the power converter 276.

An access window 352 cut into the middle portion of the front edge 354of the top surface 346 of the back bracket 222 accommodates the verticalbeam (shown in FIG. 10A-10B as 226). The vertical beam 226 extendsupward from the chassis 216 and fits into the access window 352.

FIG. 15B shows a top view of the back mounting bracket 222 or wiringtray shown in FIG. 15A. The back mounting bracket 222 or wiring tray canbe manufactured from 1/16 inch thickness sheet steel, or any othersuitable material. The interior width 356 of the back bracket 222measured from the interior of the left sidewall 342 a to the interior ofthe right sidewall 342 b is approximately 13.8 inches. The exteriorwidth 358 of the back bracket 222 measured from the outboard end of theleft sidewall 342 a mounting lip 348 a to the outboard end of the rightsidewall 342 b mounting lip 348 b is approximately 15.5 inches. Thedepth 360 of the back bracket 222 measured from the front edge 354 ofthe back bracket 222 to the rear edge 362 of the back bracket 222 isapproximately 7.5 inches. A series of bolt holes 364 are drilled in thetop surface 346 of the back bracket 222 to mount the battery pack 276 tothe back mounting bracket 222. A corresponding series of bolts (notshown) pass through the bolt holes 364 attaching the battery pack 276 tothe top surface 346 of the back bracket 222. Other holes 365 shown inthe top surface 346 of the back bracket 222 are used for tie-wraps tosecure loose cables in the back mounting bracket 222 or wiring tray.

FIG. 15C shows a front view of the back mounting bracket 222 or wiringtray shown in FIG. 15A. The height 366 of the back mounting bracket 222measured from the top of either mounting lip 348 a-b to the bottom side368 of the back bracket 222 is approximately 2.8 inches.

FIG. 15D shows a side view of the back mounting bracket 22 in FIG. 15A.The ventilation holes 282 in the center portion of the left sidewall 342a are selectively sized and shaped to permit sufficient ventilation ofheat from the power converter 276, resulting in the subsequent coolingof the power converter 276.

FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a mobileworkstation 410. The mobile workstation 410 includes anadjustable-height horizontal tray 412 supported by a chassis 414. Thechassis 414 includes a dolly assembly 416 that allows an operator, suchas a medical practitioner, to easily push the mobile workstation 410from place to place. The horizontal tray 412 includes an underside trayhousing 418, a mounting bracket 420, and an underside back mountingbracket 422.

The tray housing 418 supports a keyboard (not shown) or keypad for awireless computer terminal (not shown) in a pull-out keyboard tray 424.The wireless computer terminal mounts within the mounting bracket 420.The back mounting bracket 422 supports a power converter (not shown)that converts conventional AC or battery power to suitable electricalpower for the wireless computer terminal and a display screen 426. Thetiltable display screen 426 attaches to the top of the horizontal tray412 while connecting to the wireless computer terminal. The backmounting bracket 222 can also support associated cables or other powerconverters associated with the mobile workstation 210.

The chassis 414 includes a vertical beam 428 connecting the horizontaltray 412 to the dolly assembly 416. The vertical beam 428 includes agas-spring height adjustment mechanism (not shown) and a release lever(not shown) for adjusting the length of the beam 428 and, thus, theheight of the horizontal tray 412 above the dolly assembly 416. Forexample, the chassis 414 may be a chassis model previously described andshown in FIG. 8.

The mobile workstation 410 also carries a power unit 430 including abattery charger, an extended-life battery, a power cord 432, and arecoil mechanism that can retract the power cord when the cord is notplugged into an AC outlet. The power unit 430 is located on the lowerend of the chassis 414. For example, the power unit 430 may residebetween two metal beams in the dolly assembly 416 at the lower end ofthe chassis 414. A suitable power unit 430 is a 26 Amp-Hour batteryproviding a regulated 10-16 Volt output at 40 watts with an automaticlow power cut-off. The extended-life battery may be a 12-Volt sealedlead acid battery, and the battery charger may be a 120-Volt AC to16-Volt DC converter.

The power unit 430 typically includes a first status-indicator light toinform the user when the AC power is being supplied, a secondstatus-indicator light to inform the user when the battery needsrecharging, and a seven-level battery status-indicator light. The powerunit 430 may also include a sound indicator that beeps to inform theuser when the battery needs recharging. When plugged into an AC outlet,the battery charger will charge both the extended-life battery andoperate the wireless computer terminal. The extended-life battery can berecharged by plugging the power cord 432 into a standard 120-volt ACoutlet. When not in use, the recoil mechanism automatically recoils thepower cord 432 into the power unit 430.

The wireless computer terminal inside the mobile workstation 410communicates through a radio transmitter/receiver terminal antenna 434attached to the top of the horizontal tray 412. The terminal antenna 434is operable for communicating over an approved radio frequency. Inparticular, the wireless computer terminal may establish aradio-frequency communication channel with a distributed patient-carecomputer network as previously shown and described in FIG. 8.

FIG. 17 is a rear right side perspective view of the mobile workstation410 in FIG. 16. A tiltable bracket 436 attaches the display screen 426to the horizontal tray 412. The tiltable bracket 436 maintains thedisplay screen 426 in a number of selectable rotational positionsrelative to the tray 412. The rotational range of the tiltable bracket436 is preferably about 30 degrees rearward from vertical. That is, thetiltable bracket 436 preferably allows the display screen 426 to berotated left to right. The tiltable bracket 436 could also be configuredto allow the display screen 426 to rotate forward through a similarrotational range.

It should be understood that the term “substantially vertical” mayinclude a range about a strictly vertical orientation, represented by a30 degree range. For example, the term “substantially vertical” includesconfigurations in which the bracket 436 maintains the display screen 426in a strictly vertical orientation, or at a fixed rotational orientationwith a vertical component, or within a range of rotational orientationsincluding orientations that include vertical components. Alternatively,the display screen 426 could be supported in a substantially horizontalposition, for example by a drawer or pull-out tray located above orunder the horizontal tray 412. Other locations for the display screen426 may be preferred in certain environments. For example, the displayscreen 426 could be mounted to the side of the horizontal tray 412, tothe underside of the horizontal tray 412, to the dolly assembly 416, tothe vertical beam 428, and so forth.

The tiltable bracket 436 imparts sufficient rotational resistance tomaintain the display screen 426, with an associated computer terminal(not shown), at any of the rotational aspects within the rotationalrange defined by the tiltable bracket 436. At the same time, therotational resistance imparted by the tiltable bracket 436 is pliantenough to allow the operator to change the rotational orientation of thedisplay screen 426 with one hand. For example, the operator may easilyadjust the angle of the display screen 426 to avoid glare on the displayscreen 426.

FIG. 18 is a rear right side perspective view of the mobile workstation410 in FIG. 16 with the pull-out keyboard tray in the extended position.The pull-out keyboard tray 424 slides from an inner position, shown inFIGS. 16-17, to an outer position, shown in FIG. 18, along conventionalrollers (not shown) within a conventional roller guide slots (notshown). Typically, rollers mounted to the bottom side of the keyboardtray 424 fit within roller guide slots attached to the top side of thetray housing 418. A keyboard (not shown) fits within the pull-outkeyboard tray 424. The pull-out keyboard tray 424 is to detent whenfully extended away from the front edge of the tray housing 418,permitting the operator to type on the keyboard without the keyboardtray 424 sliding back into the tray housing 418. When the pull-outkeyboard tray 424 is in the retracted position, the keyboard tray 424will not slide out during movement or transport of the mobileworkstation 410.

As shown in FIG. 18, the pull-out keyboard tray 424 can be extendedoutward from the front end of the tray housing 418. The rollers on thebottom of the pull-out keyboard tray 424 permit the pull-out tray 424 toroll forward within the roller guide slots along the length of the topside of the tray housing 418. The roller guide slots have a physicalstop at the front end of the tray housing 418. When a roller makescontact with the physical stop at the front end of the tray housing 418,the pull-out keyboard tray 424 cannot be extended any further from thefront edge of the tray housing 418.

FIG. 19 is a front right side perspective view of the mobile workstation410 in FIG. 16 with the pull-out keyboard tray 424 in the extendedposition. The top portion of a rectangular cover for the vertical beam428 has been removed, showing an underlying shaft 438 and a power cable440 connecting the power unit 430 to the power converter (not shown).This shaft 438 connects to the gas-spring height adjustment mechanism(not shown) that allows adjustment of the height of the horizontal tray412. The gas-spring height adjustment mechanism, which is located at thebottom of the vertical beam 428, sits on top of the dolly assembly 416.This dolly assembly 416 includes an arched cross-beam 442 that connectsto two horizontal runner beams 444 a-b. Two casters, represented by thecaster 446, are connected to the bottom sides of each horizontal runnerbeam 444 a-b. For example, a suitable size caster is a conventional 5″caster. The power unit 430 is mounted below the arched cross beam 442with a support bracket 448, which connects between the horizontal runnerbeams 444 a-b.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the mobile workstation 410 shown in FIG. 16.The mounting bracket 420 attaches to the top surface of the horizontaltray 412 permitting a wireless computer terminal (not shown) to bestored on the top of the horizontal tray 412. The tiltable bracket 436,supporting the display screen 426, mounts to the top surface of themounting bracket 420. A touch-pin display interface (not shown) locatedon the back of the wireless computer terminal provides an interfacebetween the computer terminal and the display screen 426.

The tray housing 418 mounts to the underside of the horizontal tray 412.The pull-out keyboard tray 424 supporting a keyboard (not shown), mountsto the front portion of the top surface of the tray housing 418. Thewireless computer terminal may include a communication interface, suchas an optical interface, for communicating data between the computerterminal and the keyboard. A conventional electrical connection allowsthe keyboard to communicate keystrokes to the computer terminal. Thistype of operation permits an operator to easily remove the computerterminal from the mounting bracket 420, or to remove the keyboard fromthe pull-out keyboard tray 424.

The back mounting bracket 422 or wiring tray attaches to the rearportion of the underside of the horizontal tray 412. The back mountingbracket 422 or wiring tray supports the power converter (not shown) forsupplying power to the wireless computer terminal. A touch-pin batterycharging terminal (not shown) or other conventional electricalconnection, such as an automobile adaptor plug, located on the back ofthe wireless computer terminal provides an interface between thecomputer terminal and the power converter within the back mountingbracket 422. The power converter, in turn, is connected to the powerunit 430 by the power cable (shown in FIG. 19 as 440). The power unit430 can then be plugged into a standard 120 Volt AC outlet with thepower cord 432.

An access opening 450 in the side of the tray housing permits operatoraccess to actuate a release lever 452 for raising and lowering thehorizontal tray 412. The release lever 452 operates the gas-springheight adjustment mechanism (not shown). Typically, the release lever452 has a tee or a paddle on the end, so that an operator canconveniently actuate the release lever 452 thereby raising or loweringthe gas-spring height adjustment mechanism.

In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the inventionprovides a mobile workstation that includes an adjustable-heighthorizontal tray and a vertically-mounted docking station mounted to thehorizontal tray. The mobile workstation also carries a power converterand a power unit including a battery charger and an extended-lifebattery for a wireless computer terminal stored within the dockingstation. It will also be appreciated that the invention provides amobile workstation that includes an adjustable-height horizontal traymounted on a chassis, a vertically-mounted display screen mounted to thehorizontal tray, a wireless computer terminal and battery convertermounted to the horizontal tray, a pull-out keyboard tray mounted beneaththe computer terminal, and a power unit mounted to the chassis. Thepower unit also includes a battery charger and an extended-life batteryfor the wireless computer terminal.

FIG. 21 shows another embodiment of a mobile workstation 500. The mobileworkstation 500 may be similar to the mobile workstation 410 or theother mobile workstations described above. The mobile workstation 500may include a patient vital signs capture device 510. The patient vitalsigns capture device 510 may include a monitor/control device 520 and asensor device 530. The monitor/control device 520 includes a datadisplay. The sensor device 530 may be a blood pressure cuff or a similartype of device. Other types of sensors 530 may include thermometrysensor, a pulse oximetry sensor, and similar types of devices. Throughthe use of these and similar sensors 530, the patient vital signscapture device 510 may be able to capture a patient's electrocardiogram,blood pressure (NiBP), SP02 (blood oxygen saturation), pulse,temperature, and the like. The patient vital signs capture device 510may be a Vital Signs Monitor 300 series sold by Welch Allyn ofBeaverton, Oreg. or similar types of devices. Any type of medicalmonitoring device may be used herein.

By integrating the patient vital signs capture device 510 with themobile workstation 500, the capture of real time vitals data into theelectronic medical record is possible. Double entries and lag time thusmay be largely eliminated. The vital signs capture device 510 also maybe used without the computer terminal as may be desired. Rather, thevital signs capture device 510 may establish a radio-frequencycommunication channel with a distributed patient-care computer networkthrough an antenna or other type of radio transceiver connected to anetwork access point.

FIG. 22 shows a further embodiment of a mobile workstation 550. Themobile workstation 550 may be similar to the mobile workstation 410 orthe other mobile workstations described above. In this embodiment, themobile workstation 550 includes a videoconferencing system 560. Thevideoconferencing system 560 may include an extra large monitor orscreen as described above or it may include a dual screen 570 as isshown. The dual screen 570 thus allows the use of two high resolutionimaging displays. As such, diagnostic images, electronic medical records(EMR), or other patient data may be shared. A video camera 580 also maybe used.

The videoconferencing system 560 as a whole thus offers interaction withremote experts or others while simultaneously reviewing the patient'schart and images. Specifically, remote experts can be consulted andprovide advice with easy access to up to date patient information andvitals.

It should be understood that the foregoing relates only to the exemplaryembodiments of the present invention, and that numerous changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the following claims.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features ofa particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile computer workstation, comprising: awheeled chassis comprising a beam having a substantially vertical firstmember and a second member connected to the first member, the secondmember being movably positionable relative to the first member; meansfor movably positioning the second member relative to the first member;an actuator for operating the said means; a horizontal work surfacesupported by the beam such that a vertical height of the work surface isdependent on the position of the second member relative to the firstmember; a docking station for a computer supported adjacent to a firstside of the work surface; a keyboard tray adjacent to a second side ofthe work surface opposite to the first side; and a power unit located ona lower end of the chassis and comprising a battery charger and arechargeable battery, the power unit being electrically connected to thedocking station.
 2. A mobile workstation, comprising: a wheeled chassiscomprising a dolly assembly and a telescopingly adjustable verticalbeam; a substantially horizontal tray supported by the chassis, the trayhaving an upper surface defining a substantially unencumbered worksurface; wherein the beam connects the tray to the chassis, the beamhaving a first member connected to the dolly assembly and a secondmember connected to the tray; wherein the beam can position and hold thetray at a plurality of user-selectable vertical heights; a displaydevice supported by the tray and adjacent to a first side of the worksurface; a keyboard tray supported adjacent to the tray at a second sideof the work surface opposite to the first side; a power unit supportedby the chassis, wherein the power unit comprises a rechargeable battery,a battery charger, and a power cord, and wherein the rechargeablebattery is connected to the battery charger and the battery charger isconnectable to an AC power source by the power cord, and wherein thepower unit supplies power to at least the display device.
 3. The mobilecomputer workstation of claim 2 further comprising a power cord storageassembly operable for retracting the power cord when the power cord isnot connected to the AC power source.
 4. The mobile computer workstationof claim 2 further comprising a tiltable bracket connecting the displaydevice to the tray and for rotating the display device relative to thetray.
 5. The mobile computer workstation of claim 2 further comprising acomputing device supported by the tray, wherein the power unit suppliespower to the computing device.
 6. The mobile computer workstation ofclaim 5, further comprising: a video conferencing system comprising asecond display device and a video camera located above the displaydevices.
 7. The mobile computer workstation of claim 5, furthercomprising: a medical monitoring device comprising a radio transceiveroperable for receiving and sending data between the medical monitoringdevice and a computer network.
 8. The mobile computer workstation ofclaim 5 wherein the computing device is contained within a housing ofthe display device.
 9. A mobile workstation, comprising: a wheeledchassis comprising a beam having a substantially vertical first memberand a second member connected to the first member, the second memberbeing movably positionable relative to the first member; a traysupported by the beam such that a vertical height of the tray isdependent on the position of the second member relative to the firstmember, the tray comprising an upper surface defining a substantiallyhorizontal work surface; a docking station for holding a computerdevice; a bracket attached to one side the work surface for supportingthe docking station; a restraining member movable from an open positionto a closed position so that the computer device can be removed from thedocking station when the restraining member is in an open position, andso that computer device is resiliently restrained in the docking stationwhen the restraining member is in a closed position.
 10. The mobilecomputer workstation of claim 9 further comprising a lock movable from arelease position to an interference position to positively restrain thecomputer device in the docking station; and means for selectively movingthe lock from the interference position to the release position to allowthe computer device to be removed from the docking station.